If you ever experience an emergency leak or flood, don’t panic. By remaining calm and following these simple steps, you can remove the water from your home and prevent water damage. The key is to act fast, remove as much water as you can and contact the right professionals to ensure your home gets back to normal.
Stop the Water Source
First things first: if water is entering your home, you must first stop the water source. The sooner you do this, the less water you’ll have to deal with.
- Plumbing: If you’re having a major plumbing issue like a burst pipe, turn off the water supply to your home. If you’re having trouble with a particular appliance or fixture—like a broken toilet or hot water heater—turn off the water to that particular device. Since time is of the essence, it’s a good idea to know how to do these things before a water emergency occurs.
- Weather: If the water is coming from outside—from heavy rains or other types of flooding—do your best to limit the amount of water around your home. Sandbags can be used to create a barrier between your home and the water source. If the problem is a leaky roof, catch the dripping water in buckets and schedule an appointment with a professional to patch your roof as soon as possible.
Note: For safety, it is often a good idea to also turn off the power to your home while dealing with water emergencies. Water and electricity don’t mix!
Contact a Professional Water Removal Service
When an emergency leak occurs, it’s best to go ahead and call a water-removal expert. The best companies will respond within the hour. While you’re waiting on them to arrive, you can begin removing the water from your home in whatever way is most practical depending on the amount of water you’re dealing with:
- Scoop up excess water with cups or buckets
- If possible, move furniture from wet areas
- Dry floors with super absorbent towels
Get Air Circulating
Even if you remove all of the visible water from your home, the moisture left behind can cause a lot of damage. Excess moisture can ruin your drywall, rot your floors and cause the dangerous growth of mold, mildew and fungi. (“Read mold prevention tips.”) That’s why you need to completely dry out your home after a water emergency. Once you remove the bulk of the water from your home, tackle the moisture that you can’t see with these simple steps to promote airflow and remove moisture:
- Open windows and doors
- Turn on fans to promote airflow
- Use a dehumidifier to remove moisture from the air
Rely on the Pros
Once you’ve done everything you can do, let the professionals do the rest. Only they have the high-tech equipment necessary to remove excess moisture and prevent water damage. Choose a professional water restoration company that:
- responds quickly (within the hour is best)
- uses the most up-to-date and powerful equipment to extract water from your floors
- won’t rip up your carpets
- will dry non-carpeted floors as well
- uses several different meters to monitor the moisture in your home
- has a friendly, professional staff
Choosing the right company can make a big difference. Remember, you must remove the water now before damage occurs. If you wait too long to call in the pros, you’ll be left to deal with the damage. For more information on how to remove water from your home or to schedule service, give us a call today.